Is it possible to use an Apple display like the 20" or 23" version as a tv? I'm talking about doing so without a computer attached.
CanadaRAM said:Or go with a Mac-based TV solution like EyeTV 200 and Formac Studio TVR
bdomz said:It seems to me than any HDTV receiver that has DVI output would work. (provided you have an Apple Cinema dislplay with DVI input).
James L said:Wouldn't it be WAY cheaper just to buy a tv?
sandman42 said:I have a USB EyeTv, I use it all the time, and it works great. I understand that the firewire versions, like EyeTV 200, are even better (better video quality).
EyeTV USB and 200 connect to either cable or antenna. There are other versions that connect to digital cable, satellite, etc, and they now have one that receives HDTV.
In my case, I connect my cable to the EyeTV box, then connect the box to my computer with a USB cable - that's it. You can watch live tv full screen or in a resizeable window (and pause/rewind/etc like Tivo) or you can program it to record and watch later.
The video quality on the USB version is like low-end VHS; the audio is good. They use MPEG-1 in order to keep the data stream small enough for USB. The firewire version uses MPEG-2, same as DVDs - better quality but larger file sizes. USB version uses about 660Mb for an hour of TV. Don't know about the firewire version.
Programming is really easy. There's a searchable tv listing web interface, and you just click on the shows you want and EyeTV will record them for you. It's nice to have several hours of TV of your choice on your laptop!